The Big Bad Wolf
by BelindaDuvessa
Summary: This takes place directly after Time ReWritten and is in between the Time War and Season 1. Many changes are in store for the Doctor. All in the package of a pink and yellow woman who apparently holds his hearts.
1. A Meeting Between Friends

_**I do not own Doctor.**_

_**This is the continued story of Rose and the Doctor. It starts right after I ended Time ReWritten. I had originally intended this to be a Season 1 Rewrite but I changed my mind. This is the time between the War and Season 1. The rating on this will be M for later chapters. Anyway, review and tell me what you think!**_

* * *

**A Meeting Between Friends**

Koschei, Rose, and the Doctor danced around the Controls. The TARDIS had never had so many pilots. She was thrilled. Her Wolf was back with her Thief. And her Thief's best friend. She couldn't be happier.

They landed with a thump, but they all expected it. Rose and the Doctor started to the door, Koschei lagging behind. Rose could feel the uncertainty from him and grabbed his hand.

"It'll be ok, I promise."

"You know what I did to them, Rose. No matter what you say, they won't forgive me for this."

"I've already forgiven you. Jack, believe it or not, is one of the most forgiving men I've ever met. He tries to hide it behind his innuendo, but it's there. Mickey will also forgive. He dealt with me for years while I pined over that one. It's Martha you will have to convince and I expect you will spend the next three years doing just that. But it'll be worth it, I promise."

"I hope so Rose."

They heard pounding on the door.

"I know you're in there!" They could hear Jack outside the doors.

"Well, we better get this over with." Koschei looked resigned.

"Well, let me just break the ice." Rose threw open the doors and smiled. Jack stepped back, stunned, then wrapped Rose in a hug.

"Oh, I've missed you." Rose told him.

"It's only been a couple of years for me. How long has it been for you?"

"Oh, only about 500."

Jack's eyes widened at that and he stepped back to take Rose in. She looked exactly as he remembered. But her eyes, her eyes were old like his and the Doctor's.

"Rosie. What happened?"

"It's a long story. One best told over chips. Can you get a hold of Martha and Mickey for me? I only want to tell this story once."

The Doctor and Koschei stepped out of the TARDIS together and took in Jack. The Doctor cringed a bit but said nothing.

"Doc, nice to see you. I see you've changed your face again. And who is your friend?"

"It's complicated. Which is why I need Martha and Mickey."

"On it, Rosie." He flipped out his cell phone and dialed. After a moment of talking he hung up and looked at Rose.

"The Smiths will be here in about 20 minutes. The chippy is just around the corner. Why don't we head there now?"

The group made their way to the chippy. The Doctor pulled Rose aside after the rest of the group rounded the corner.

"What is wrong with that man?" he whispered, voice catching a bit.

"I happened. When I first became the Bad Wolf it was to save your life. But I couldn't control the power. I knew Jack had died, so I brought him back to life. Permanently. He's a fixed point in time. A fact and that's not supposed to happen. But I can't change him back. He has a purpose to serve."

"I see. And we were, friends?"

"Well, we all traveled together for a few months. Saved the world together. You know, the usual for you." She grinned at him and he couldn't help but smile back. "He's also one of my best friends. I don't expect you to welcome him immediately. But these people are the closest thing I have to family now. And I feel myself drawn to them still, after 500 years. To when they were still...vibrant. Surely you understand that, Doctor."

"I understand that probably better than anyone."

"Sarah-Jane mentioned that was your way. It seems it had to become mine as well. But enough of that. Let's join the group before Koschei starts to get too, anxious."

They make their way in and sure enough, Koschei is twitching. Jack was eyeing him warily. Rose sat down beside him, taking his hand. He immediately calmed. The Doctor wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulder, his hand touching Koschei's shoulder. He calmed even more.

"It's a bit domestic for you, isn't it, Doctor?" Jack quipped.

"What? Chips with friends? If it makes you feel better we can consider this a business lunch. Because that's what we are discussing here, business."

"Oh? And what business is that?"

"Koschei needs a place for a while. He's supposed to be growing a TARDIS but it will take time. And I figured where could I put him where he could do that and be productive? With Captain Jack Harkness and Torchwood 3. He's as brilliant as the Doctor. I'm sure he'll more than earn his place."

Martha and Mickey chose that time to walk in. He ran up and enveloped Rose in a hug. Then he looked at the two men beside her.

"I see you've changed your face again. Wait, which one is he?"

"This is the Doctor, and this is before Leather."

Jack looked at her sharply, as did Mickey.

"Rose, isn't that messing with Time Lines? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Yes, and no. Do you remember when I became Bad Wolf?"

Jack and Mickey nodded. The others looked a slight bit confused.

"Well, it seems to have changed me. Mickey, I'm 500 years old."

"What? No! We just saw you!"

"Wibbly-Wobbley, Timey-Wimey." Martha muttered, but everyone heard her.

"When we parted, The Doctor had left me with his meta-crisis. He named himself Joshua Donald Noble. And we had a fantastic life. We knew some things were off almost immediately. Tosh, our Tosh, told Joshua about the Dimension Project. About how I was the only one who could do it. So, he went into my mind and found Bad Wolf still there. But we dropped it. He wasted all that time when we were together and regretted it so badly when we were separated. He looked through his good friends." She looked at Martha at this.

"It wasn't until we tried to start a family that we really noticed it. We tried for two years. Finally, he got fed up and took me to Torchwood 1 and asked Pete if we could run some tests. I was no longer human. I wasn't aging. And I couldn't reproduce with him. I was devastated. I threw myself into work, effectively ignoring him. He spent more and more time in London while I ran Torchwood 3. Finally, my parents had enough. Pete told him to go back to me. To win me back. To get me out of this depression because he wanted his daughter back."

Her eyes were glowing a slightly golden at this point. The Doctor's arm around her tightened slightly and Koschei put his other hand on hers. Jack watched the three of them curiously.

"He effectively wined and dined me. For a solid month he did every romantic thing he could think of. And the night I broke...it was beautiful. I was 35 when I found I could travel through time. Scared the Hell out of Joshua. He thought I had left him. I disappeared for 3 days. When I finally showed up again, it was in the middle of Pete's office, with Joshua and my Mom both there. Joshua took me and held me close. My Mom was crying. I hadn't gone anywhere. I'd just jumped from point A to B but I'd scared my family to death. After that, Joshua hardly let go of my hand. Eventually, I found I could take him with me. And we traveled the stars like we used to."

Her eyes were completely golden now.

"He kept up with me almost until the end. He lived 70 years. I cremated him and took his ashes to Women Wept. Where I promised him forever. No one but me to mourn him. I went a bit mad. I ran and ran and ran. Eventually, I was captured. They tortured me. And I lost control. The Bad Wolf came out, but without Rose to reign her in. And the Universe collapsed. I destroyed the Universe."

Rose was shaking now.

"You can stop, Rose, if you need to." The Doctor told her softly. Everyone else around the table nodded as well.

"I'm almost done now. When I woke, it was a completely new planet. And it just felt _right_. Before Joshua passed, he told me to find the Doctor. We never did raise the TARDIS coral into a ship. She was alive, but flat out refused to grow there. But Joshua had a theory. With my jumping ability, and focusing on the coral, he thought I could track down the TARDIS. And I did. I found myself in front of it not much later. And he came crashing through the underbrush running at full speed. I got the door open and we went in. I found I had landed in the Time Lock. And he didn't know me. We were separated for a moment. We ended the Time War not long after that."

She stopped talking. She hadn't eaten anything through the entire speech but she suddenly found herself ravenous. She tore into the chips. She'd eaten more than half before she finally slowed down enough.

"I brought Koschei here because I trust him. And I trust you. He has a past to work through. And eventually you will know this past. But for now, he's a dear friend. I'm asking for your help to get him where he belongs again."

Martha and Mickey nodded. Jack tilted his head and took Rose's hand.

"Well, Mickey, Martha? Why don't you two take our guest on a tour of the Hub? Get him acquainted." They looked at Jack for a moment. They knew they were being dismissed. And both knew they would find out in time. So, nodding, the gestured for Koschei to follow them. As soon as they were out the door Jack looked at Rose.

_'I don't know if I'm comfortable with this, Rose. I know who he his. Who he was. He tortured me for a year and put Martha through Hell. I'm not sure if I can let that slide by.' _Rose looked directly at him. The gold had mostly faded from her eyes.

_'And you will go through much worse, Face of Boe, before things get better. But know this, he wants to make amends, to prove himself. I've taken off the compulsions that Rassilon placed on his mind. I took away the drum beat that drove him mad. But he needs somewhere semi-stable. I don't know how long he will actually be here with you, but give him the chance. That's all I'm asking.'_

_'You know I'd do anything for you Rosie. I'll give him a chance. But what if something happens?'_

_'Well, I plan on getting me a cell phone before we leave. I'll always answer for you. And if nothing else, you can use that weak telepathy that you have to call me. I'll hear you, no matter where or when that I am.'_

_'I see how he is with you. It's a change from what I know. I hope you're right. I don't know if I can forgive him, though'_

Rose smiled.

_'He doesn't expect forgiveness. But he wants a chance to try and make up for those things.'_

Out loud she said.

"Doctor, can you go find a cash point? We need to get cell phones so this lot can get us if they need anything."

He looked at her and blinked a moment before nodding. As soon as he was gone, Jack looked at Rose.

"So what exactly are you doing with a past version of him? Are you staying with him?"

"I've been given permission by at least two of his future selves, including pin-striped, to rewrite his past and create a new future. So that's what I'm doing. Because of Bad Wolf, I am aware of both Time Lines. I can't directly interfere with important events in his life, but there are some things that won't happen. I'm pretty sure I can stop Canary Warf, or at least my being sucked into the other world. Which will make the next few years of his life that much easier."

"How will this effect our history?"

"Not much. I'm also allowing you all to remember those Time Lines. But I promised him forever. And I plan on giving him just that. There's another thing I will be needing your help with. I plan on fixing Donna."

"What happened to Donna?"

"She couldn't hold the Time Lord mind in a human brain. She would have burnt up. So he locked away those memories. I plan on unlocking them but I need him, the pin-striped Doctor, here to do it. Can you try to contact him for me? Get him here?"

"I make no promises, Rosie. We left on good terms but there's no telling if he will come or not."

"Feed him some garbage about the Rift. That'll at least get his attention."

"And what will you be doing while I do all of that?"

"Getting cell phones, exchanging numbers, and sending this one on an adventure. Then I'm going to pick up Donna Noble."


	2. Fixing Donna Noble

_**I do not own Doctor Who. For those who haven't caught on yet, as far as the Doctor is concerned, this is a rewrite. As far as Rose and everyone else, this is post Journey's End. The version of the Doctor that showed up here is just before the Moment. This is set right after Bowie Station. He's a mess. This explains why he's only a tad bit surprised to see Rose at the Moment.**_

_**Anyways, on to the story.**_

**Fixing Donna Noble**

Donna Noble was an ordinary woman. She got up, went to work, hung out with friends, and went back home to sleep. Her husband was not anyone significant. It was just the two of them. Neither wanted children.

Donna dreamed at night, of fantastic things. Of a twig of a man and his magical blue police box. Of a wedding dress and a giant red spider. Of Pompeii, a planet made of diamonds, and of being the most important woman in the world. But they were just stories. Dreams. Because all those things just weren't possible.

Today was just like any other day. Well, except the strange woman who showed up to her work. She almost seemed to glow. Donna wondered if she might be pregnant. But she didn't ask. The woman made it a point not to come anywhere near her. Donna couldn't help but think she'd looked familiar. Like almost in a dream.

* * *

Rose made a point to stay away from Donna. After she'd stopped into her work, she went to Donna's. Her mother was out, but Wilf was there. He remembered Rose and hugged her.

"The Doctor said you left."

"Oh, I did. But I came back. Can't keep me away. How's Donna?"

"Miserable. She knows something is wrong. She just can't quite place her finger on it. She dreams of him, you know, and their time together. She tells me about them. And it's difficult not to tell her that those dreams are what really happened."

"I went to her work today. She almost seemed to recognize me. If I could get her memories back, do you think she would want that?"

"She might not think so but I think it would be marvelous. She was so much happier when she traveled with him, you know."

"Oh, I know. He brings out the best in people. He doesn't always believe so, but it's true."

"So, will you help Donna?"

"If she'll let me."

She shouldn't have been surprised that the woman was there. But she was. She was even more surprised at how her grandfather seemed to know her. She was stunned to silence, which never happens.

Wilf called to her when he noticed she'd stepped outside. He was on the hill with Rose, looking through his telescope.

"Donna, come on! I have someone I want you to meet!"

Donna walked up the hill, keeping a wary of the girl.

"Donna, this is Rose. Rose, Donna"

"Hello!" Rose shot her a winning grin, tongue in teeth and all.

"Who are you, and why are you up here bothering my grandfather!"

"Donna!" Wilf admonished.

"No! She some chav tryin' to get at ya, gramps?"

"Wow, been a while since I was called a chav. Almost miss it. No, Miss Noble, I'm actually here on behalf of the Bad Wolf Corporation. I'm here to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime."

"Me? Some temp from Chiswick?"

"Well, it's nothing you'll remember doing. But there was a time when you were the most important woman in all of creation. Do you remember the Doctor?"

"Doctor who?"

"Tall, skinny, really great hair?"

Donna looked at the woman.

"I dream of him, sometimes. And a blue box. But it hurts to think about. How did you know about that?"

"Oh Donna, he's real as can be. And right now he needs you. We both do. If I could make it where it didn't hurt, would you be willing?"

"I think, I think I'd like that. It feels like something is missing and I think it's those things." She looked at Wilf, who nodded at her.

"Then take my hand, Donna. And let me show you what you've been missing."

Donna took her hand, and they disappeared in a swirl of gold mist.

* * *

Donna woke up in a place she'd never been before. She started panicking before she remembered what had happened at her mother's.

"Rose!"

"Oh good, you're awake! You ready to begin?"

"I guess so. What happened?"

"You kind of passed out. I didn't get a chance to warn you about the transport. It takes a bit to get used to. Anyway, we're still waiting on our third party. I had to call him to meet up with us and he seems to be taking his time. While we wait, why don't I show you around?"

It turns out they were at a place called Torchwood in Cardiff. There was a very flirtatious man by the name of Jack who showed her around. Rose was waiting on the Doctor. Not the one she was traveling with, but _**him**_. The one who left her. She was still a little bitter about the entire affair. Not that she hadn't loved Joshua. She just hated her choices being taken away and didn't like the fact that she hadn't actually been consulted as to whether she wanted to go back to Pete's World. So, while Jack was showing Donna around, she was watching cameras, waiting on him.

It took about twenty minutes before she noticed him. He was standing in the lobby, talking to Ianto. Rose had asked him to stall him until she could get up there. She dematerialized and rematerialized outside and walked in behind him. He was so caught up talking to Ianto, he didn't see her.

"Look, I just want to know why Jack asked me here."

"Because Jack didn't, I did."

He froze. He knew that voice. He dreamed about that voice. But he hadn't seen her since the Bay.

"Hey Rosie! Koschei's down in the labs, if you're looking for him. Jack's in his office."

The Doctor looked up at Ianto, eyes wide.

"Koschei?"

"Yes, Koschei. Rose brought him here."

"You going to turn around, or keep standing there with your mouth gaping like a fish?"

He slowly turned around and looked at her. The first thing he noticed were her eyes. They looked pained, like she could barely stand to look at him.

_'That's because I can barely be around you. You left me, on a beach, with a copy of yourself. You didn't ask if that's what either of us wanted. You made the decision for us and because of that, I hate you a bit.'_

_'What?"_

_'Is that all you know how to say?'_

_'How...how can you speak to me like this?'_

_'Oh, there's a lot about me you don't know. Had you bothered to look into the effects of Bad Wolf, you might have caught a few things. But that's something you'll learn in time. Right now, I'm here trying to fix your mistakes. Walk with me.'_

Rose turned around and headed out the door. The Doctor forgot he had feet for a moment but eventually realized he needed to catch up.

"We had a good life. Loving him was one of the best things. Even when he passed, I loved him. There's no one else. He died 400 years ago."

"I'm sorry, Rose"

"No! You don't get to say sorry! You sit here and make decisions for others because you think you're the only authority but you know what! That ends now. You are no longer the highest authority, I am."

She turned towards him and he gasped. Her eyes were glowing faintly. Her stance was rigid, like she was fighting whether she wanted to hit him or kiss him.

"Rose..?"

"Oh, I'm still here, still completely in control."

"Are you going to hit me, Rose Tyler? Because the woman I knew wouldn't. The woman I knew would break down walls to save those she loves. Like you're doing with Donna. The woman I knew wouldn't hold a grudge like this, even when she thought the man she loved had left her for a French Aristocrat. No, the woman I love would never do that."

He stepped closer to her and reached his hand out. She crashed into him, crushing her lips to his own. She hadn't meant to but she'd missed him. She really had. And it wasn't the way she thought he would say it, but he had said it. He hesitated for only a moment, then pulled her close. With one hand, he pulled her into him, and the other he ran through her hair, at the base of her neck. She moaned into his mouth and he would have been lost completely if someone hadn't cleared his throat.

"I really hate to break this up, but Rosie, you have some work to do. There's a red head down there who is getting a bit overwhelmed and Jack isn't letting me near her right now. Says I can't until after you're done."

Koschei was trying really hard not to laugh at the two of them. They broke apart and she swept past, clearly embarrassed. The Doctor looked at her, then back at him.

"Hello, old friend." Koschei offered his hand. The Doctor took it, hesitantly and Koschei drew him into a hug.

_'Rose is the best thing that's happened to either of us. If you screw this up, I will find you. And I will make it hurt.' _

The Doctor merely nodded. It seemed he had found so much in the last few minutes and he wasn't sure how to process it all.

_'Just move forward. But run towards the light this time. Embrace it. You'll be a lot happier if you do.'_

_'It frightens me'_

_'It does me too. This new woman, if Jack is to believed, is to me my new babysitter. Someone to keep me in line until I can be trusted. And with my personal history with Jack and Martha, I can't blame them. But I'm not going to back down from this, and neither are you. And I'm sorry, for what I know is about to happen to you.'_

The Doctor looked at him.

"My past, your future."

He followed Koschei into the Hub. Jack stopped him when he got there and pulled him off to the side.

"I'm not sure what Rose has planned, but she's trying to fix Donna. She needs you here to unlock her memories. They're in my office now. Donna was freaking out about all the alien tech. Just, do what Rose asks. She's completely blown us out of the water with what she can do. Trust her." Jack gave the Doctor a look that clearly said not to screw this up.

_'What is with all of you thinking I'll mess this up!?'_

_'Because you will! You can't stand for yourself to be happy because you honestly don't know what it means to be happy. You cover it with your quips and quirks but you're such a lonely man.' _Rose thought back at him. _'If you would give in to those urges and emotions every once in a while, you might actually learn what it was to truly be happy. Come into Jack's office. She won't recognize you but I need you in here. We're changing her physiology a bit and I need you to do it.'_

He walked in, hesitantly. Rose motioned him over. She had both of Donna's hands in her own and she was glowing. He looked at her in awe, and just a bit of fear.

_'Stop gaping and help. Step up behind her and unlock her memories. She'll burn for a moment but I have her.'_

_'What if it doesn't work?'_

_'Trust me. I wouldn't do anything to her I didn't think she could withstand. The same with you. Now do it!'_

He brought his hands up to Donna's temples and searched. He searched for the area he'd locked. The area only he could unlock. When it broke, she screamed. He opened his eyes to see Rose completely engulfed in gold. He felt a tug in the back of his mind and he almost jumped back.

_'Don't. It's the lingering effects of my bond with Joshua. Same mind, same bond with you. Well, partial bond. But I'm using it to draw on what I need to change her. She won't be Time Lord. But she'll be more than human. A hybrid, if you will. But she'll be able to remember.'_

He nodded at her, and dropped his shields some. Rose took a deep breath and together, they melded the three different DNA types together. He let go when Rose stopped glowing and grabbed her as she fell. Donna had been sitting in a chair but Rose was standing when she collapsed. He picked her up and sat, cradling her to his chest. He looked down when he felt her move. She smiled at him and closed her eyes. She snuggled close.

_'Thank you, for not fighting me.'_

_'You're welcome.'_

He smiled as she drifted to sleep. And he followed soon after.

Donna awoke, confused. He mind was fuzzy, like she was waking from a hangover. In the chair across from her, she saw the Doctor and Rose, curled together and asleep. She smiled. Everything was going to be ok.

* * *

_**So, this one took a bit to write. I hope you liked it.**_


	3. Of Angels

_**I do not own Doctor Who!**_

_**Now that all the **__**吐**__**ixingis done (for now), let's get on to the new adventures of Rose Tyler and the Doctor. The version she is with was conveniently left out of the last chapter. He'd gone off to chase something, somewhere. Now that she's back, I wonder what shape she'll find him in. Let's find out! Oh, warning: Lots of relationship angst here. Sorry.**_

**Of Angels**

He didn't know where they came from. No one really knew where the Angels descended but he had a sneaking suspicion. He hoped he wasn't right.

He'd left Rose in Cardiff. She'd ask for it, saying she needed time to fix something. Something he will do in the future, he had no doubt. It concerned him. She'd been a constant by him since the Time War. He missed her. He missed her even more now that he was trapped. They couldn't hope to get in where he was barricaded, but he definitely couldn't get out, either. He chuckled.

_'Never thought I'd die holed up, trapped by statues'_

_'And you won't have to. I'm outside. I've got my eyes on them. Now run!'_

He opened the door to see Rose, staring down the lot of them. They were frozen, reaching towards her. He could see the faint glow around her and knew she would be spent soon. He tried to grab for her but she slipped out of his grasp.

_'Get to the TARDIS and come find me. I can deal with them.'_

He ran. He couldn't lose her. Not after he's just found her. Found her again?

As soon as he was out of her line of sight, she began glowing.

"Have you ever heard of too much of a good thing?"

She exploded. Almost literally. Every statue was covered by gold. And they disappeared. Rose sent them back in time, just like they did their own victims. Then she collapsed.

* * *

When he found her, she was sprawled. She'd over exerted herself, again. He sighed and picked her up. He by passed the med-bay. She had done this before and he knew she just needed to sleep. He lay her on her bed and took her boots off. He pulled the covers over her and shook his head.

He went to the Console and put them into the Vortex. She needed uninterrupted sleep and so did he. He had spent days tracking a signal only to find that it was a trap. Stupid, really. Now that the War was over, he thought he didn't have to worry about things trying to trap Time Lords but he was wrong.

He went back to her room. She was exactly how he'd left her. She wasn't even snoring, which he found odd. He kicked off his boots and crawled into her bed. He sat, with his back against her headboard and just gazed at her.

She was beautiful. And special. He could feel the echo of the bond she shared with his clone. It felt stronger, somehow. He wasn't sure if she was the reason for that or if this was the first time they both were still enough for him to concentrate on it. It felt nice, reassuring even, to feel her. Even if it wasn't a complete bond, he found that he was content. Maybe one of these days he could finish it with her himself. And he found he was willing to wait a lifetime for her.

* * *

When she woke, she found him pressed against her back, asleep. She found that she didn't mind and she curled back into him, tugging his arms tighter around her. She felt the buzzing in the back of her mind. She hadn't meant to strengthen the bond when she was with Donna, but she really didn't have much of a choice. To do what she did meant she had to exploit the bond she knew was there. And in doing so, the echo of a bond was stronger. Still not a full bond by any means but it was decidedly stronger.

She closed her eyes and thought of the kiss they had shared. She didn't know what she had been thinking. No, she did. He looked so much like Joshua and it made her heart ache. Four hundred years and she still mourned him. And to see _**him**_, his double, amplified those emotions. That was two kisses with the man she hadn't intended. Once, to spur him into action. The other, she was overwhelmed with longing for the man she had lost. And longing for him, although she didn't want to admit it. He'd said the words. Maybe not how she had wanted them, but he had.

She felt him stirring behind her and closed her eyes. She willed her mind to still, to sleep, before she woke him. It wasn't often he slept. And he rarely slept well. Neither did she, for that matter. So she stilled her mind, so they both could have peace for a few hours.

* * *

He woke to the smell of flowers. No, of Rose. He had fallen asleep in her bed and wrapped himself around her. He tightened his hold on her briefly before trying to roll away. A hand on his stopped him. She gently tugged him back.

"I can't sleep the day away like you apes." He told her gently.

She smiled. It had been forever since she had been referred to as an ape. It stirred fond memories and some feelings of longing. She quickly tamped those down.

"I didn't say to go back to sleep. But it's been forever since I slept soundly. And I'm sure the same is true for you. Enjoy it. Sleep, Theta."

He looked at her surprised, then grinned. He'd forgotten that Romana had used that name in her presence. He was glad she knew it. He wondered briefly if his other had shared it with her as well.

She tugged his hand again and he settled back down. She turned to face him. He was unsure of how to hold her but she twined their limbs together. She looked at him and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Thank you, for staying. For not running."

"I don't think I could run away from you any more if I tried."

She snorted.

"Oh, believe me. When I first met you, that was all you were doing. Running. From your past. From anything and anyone who could care for you. You were so broken after you thought you'd killed them all. And you felt that anything you touched was tainted. So you didn't allow yourself to feel."

"I can't imagine being that type of man."

"But you were. Sand shoes, as a matter of fact. You became him when Nine thought he'd taken the Vortex from me. Sacrificed himself to do it with a kiss. And then he ran. He wouldn't let himself get close. Wouldn't let himself fall. He initiated the entire thing and ran in fear of what he had done. Implanted a bit of himself on me when he did it. And a bit of myself on him. Initiated a partial bond. Probably didn't realize what he'd done."

Her voice was pained. He reached out, tilted her chin so she would look at him. The raw pain and vulnerability in her eyes shocked him.

"I am not that man. I don't want to be that man. You, Rose Tyler, have saved me, probably more times than I will ever know. And because of that, I will not run away. Not from you. I feel my soul is already lain bare to you. I have nothing to hide from you."

He leaned in and kissed her gently.

_'I never was a kisser before this body. Never felt the need. But you, Rose Tyler, bring out something in me I never thought I could feel. Please, let go of my past. I'm not that man. And with you, I hope to never become him.'_

She smiled against his lips. They lay there, lips pressed together. Neither moving to initiate anything more. She was still broken, still hurt and he knew this. And he had just finished a War. Maybe not the same way he had originally, but he was still a battered soul. War was difficult for an empath.

They broke apart and he pulled her in to his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head. He held her, rubbing her back, until she went to sleep. And he felt he could hold her forever.

* * *

When they woke the second time, it was together. Nothing seemed wrong with the TARDIS. They were both stiff. Five hours, thirteen minutes, four seconds. That was the total amount of time they both slept. An eternity for either of them, really.

Rose stretched and popped and he watched her. The way she arched her back and stretched had him thinking some, very inappropriate things. But then, so did those few brief kisses they had shared. This body definitely seemed touch-feely. Or maybe it was just with her.

They both got up. She went to her en suite to change and get ready, and he to his. They met back up in the Kitchen. He had decided to make her something a bit exotic, from his home world since they still had the groceries from there. And she found the reason he loved bananas so much.

"The flour that we use there is not bland like on Earth. It has a flavor and that happens to be closely related to bananas. There's another type of flour we use that's on the nutty side, for our more savory dishes. This morning, you are getting a traditional fry-up from Gallifrey. Meat, like chicken, coated in the banana flavored flour, our version of milk, and finally in the nutty flour. It sounds a bit off but it's spectacular. The banana flour doesn't really taste like banana cooked this way. It adds a bit of natural sweet to the dish. I think you'll quite enjoy it. This followed by a stir-fry of vegetables. Not sure what to equate some of them to. There is a type of root plant like a potato. And a couple of other things. I'm not sure what I would equate them to for Earth foods but I think you'll enjoy it as well."

They talked as he worked. She would ask occasionally if he needed her help but he would shake his head and continue on with whatever he was explaining. They were openly avoiding what had happened while they were separated. They both seemed to want this domestic moment before they launched into the day's events.

* * *

They cleaned up the Kitchen and met back in the Library. The TARDIS had taken out the single sitting chairs and would only produce a couch for them to sit. He sat in one corner and she the other. Both of their emotions were all over the place.

"So, what happened? Joshua told me about the Angels but never in such force. How did so many of them come to this area?"

"I'm not sure. It could be their place of origin. No one really knows. There's been theories throughout the ages as to where the Angels came from. The most sound is that they were Time Lords, sentenced to a life of solitude. Only able to survive from consuming a Time Stream. Or rather, the potential of the Time Stream. It seemed the most plausible theory, though. When Time Lords are shamed, they hide their faces behind their hands, much like the Angels do when locked.

I came here following a distress signal. It took me a while to find it. Something kept interfering with my readings on my Screwdriver. Probably the multiple Time Distortions in the area. I'm actually surprised the TARDIS landed. I noticed the Angels as I was entering the building. I had heard of them, but wasn't exactly sure how to deal with them. Seems there isn't a good way, really. I barricaded the door. They tried getting in. That's about when you showed up. When I got back to you, they were all gone and you had collapsed. What happened to them?"

Rose took a deep breath.

"I happened. I force fed them the Vortex and sent them back in Time. There were quite a few of them and after doing what I had with Donna and Sand Shoes, I was a bit out of energy. I felt you, in distress and jumped well before my energy levels were up and then spent the energy to send them back. I'll end up having to eat again soon and sleep again, probably for a full eight hours this time, to get my energy back up. I haven't used that kind of energy since jumping between the Universes. It's left me a bit spent."

"Alright, I'll get you fed and back to bed here in a bit. How did things go with Donna and my other self?"

"Donna, great. Him...honestly I gave into my emotions and snogged him senseless. If Koschei hadn't been there, it might have gone too far."

"I'm a bit jealous, really. Not sure how that works, being jealous of myself but it's there."

Rose giggled a bit.

"Yeah, bit rubbish, really. I was so overcome with emotions. He looks just like Joshua. It was him that Joshua was cloned from. I don't think I could help myself. When I kissed him at the Moment, it was to goad him into action. This kiss, was desperation and longing. For both of us. I think the version of him we met at the Moment was after this because he wasn't nearly as surprised to see me as he was today. I think Koschei threatened him. But I locked that bit out of his mind. He hasn't had his last encounter with Koschei. That's what kills him and has him Regenerate into Bow-Tie.

We felt it, in the Parallel when he Regenerated. He didn't want to go. This new Doctor tried to forget his past. The things that mattered to him and create a future that was all his own. I got glimpses of this when I hugged him. He loved me, in his own way. He had River Song and Clara to ease the pain. But he let that part, us, die when he Regenerated. But I felt it, when hugging him. It was still there, just muted, so he wouldn't feel the pain of it. Sad, really."

The Doctor didn't know what to say to this revelation. For two lifetimes, he was enamored of this woman and then all of a sudden he wasn't? He'd moved on? It didn't make sense.

"I think, he buried it to make the pain less."

"Obviously. You never were good at confronting your emotions after the War. You're much better here. And Joshua was great at it. But your society is built on burying emotions. The fact that you showed any was a testament to your awkwardness with your own people. But you were too, uptight to really blend in well with humans, either. You are one of a kind. This life you lead sets you apart, to not really belong with anyone. It took Joshua years, but he finally came to terms with it. I think that was Donna's doing, really. That little part of her that forced him to feel."

She became quiet again. When she finally spoke, her voice had strengthened a bit. She didn't sound quite so vulnerable.

"I went to Donna's work to see her. She almost seemed to remember me but I didn't stay long. I went to see Wilf, her grandfather, and ask his opinion. He wanted me to go for it. He'd traveled with the Doctor, briefly. Not on any real adventures. Just to stop the Master that last time. Wilf is the reason he had to regenerate. He still blames himself. I can see it in his eyes.

When Donna got home, she was seeing red. She was so angry she couldn't even talk. So I did. I told her of a fantastic man with a magic blue box. She admitted she dreamed of him at night. I told her that he was real and asked if she wanted her memories back. She did. So we went to see Jack. I had Jack call the Doctor and have him get there. I materialized behind him and made him walk with me. We fought. Well, I did. I screamed at him. And instead of running, like I thought he would, he opened his arms to me. And I couldn't resist."

She went quiet again, lost in thought. He was at a loss of what to do. He wanted to give her space, but he wanted to lift her up in his arms and comfort her as well. Finally, he settled on scooting closer and taking her hand in his. She smiled at him, took a breath, and continued.

"Koschei came up and interrupted us. It probably would have gotten out of hand quickly. I ran off but not before they shook hands. The Doctor tensed in the embrace. Like I said, Koschei had threatened him. Jack pulled him aside also. I think he also threatened him. Next thing I know, he's screaming in his head wondering why we all thought he was going to mess things up. So I told him the truth. He would. He can't stand to be happy so he sabotages things so he can't be and blames it on the Universe.

When I finally got him in the room, he was scared. I'd already began the process so she wouldn't burn when he unlocked her memories. When he finally opened himself, it was almost too much for me, emotionally. The weight of his loss pressed into me but I fought it down. I used the weak bond we had to pull from him. I mingled our TNA into Donna. I didn't change her much, but enough to where her mind could sustain the memories. She's staying in Cardiff for now, with Koschei, resting. It took a lot out of her having her entire physiology rewritten like that. I have something I need her to do for us in the future but for right now, she's in a good place. Between her and Koschei, they will get the TARDIS up and running in no time."

He smiled.

"It's funny, really, the changes that you've brought with you. Things I never thought I would have again. I've spent centuries fighting Koschei. It's a bit overwhelming to see him as a friend again, after so long. And you, I don't even know what to think about you half the time. Most people turn and run when they see the lifestyle I lead. You seem to have embraced it. I find that strangely comforting. And what I feel for you...I don't even know what it is. Is it an echo of what you and Joshua had? Is it from my future? Is it all my own? I'm so confused by it and that never, ever happens."

He was staring off, lost in his thoughts. She squeezed his hand and he looked up at her, seeming to shake himself out of his thoughts. She smiled her huge grin, tongue and all.

"We'll figure it out. But I'm starved again. I don't want to cook, though. Think you can land us somewhere to get take-out? Earth or alien, doesn't really matter to me. I learned a long time ago to just go with it."

He smiled. He knew just where to take her.


	4. Umbeka

_**I do not own Doctor Who!**_

_**This one, I am hoping, will be an actual adventure between the two. Not her coming in on the tail end of things and saving his butt.**_

_**This took a bit of time to write. Also not as much danger as what these characters are used to. That will change further down the line, but for now, I'm still in the whole learning process of writing and don't want to muck it up too much. So! Enjoy the chapter!**_

**Umbeka**

"So, like I was saying, I've always wanted to come here. They have an almost every-lasting Winter. They last for centuries. And their Summer for only a few weeks. But during their Summer, they hold a grand festival. And that is where we are headed."

"You sure you put the coordinates in correctly?" She looked at him grinning.

"This is not my first time flying this girl, I'll have you know. And often, I end up exactly where I want to be."

"No, you land exactly where you need to be. There were many times where we were supposed to land in one area and ended up in some other time. Or place. Or both. Even with me flying she wouldn't take us where we wanted if she ran across something we needed to do."

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"I honestly never looked at it that way. But it's possible that you're correct. Regardless, I asked her nicely for a nice, relaxing holiday. I think we both need it."

She smiled up at him.

"Anything in particular I need to wear?"

"Something colorful. I'll be changing also. I still feel weird without my hair. I used to have long hair. Oh well. But yes. Bright and colorful. And cool. Definitely need something for warm weather."

She giggled at him as she walked towards the wardrobe room.

When she arrived back in the Console Room, she had tan shorts, a tie-dyed tank top of varying shades of warm colors, and tan hiking boots. Her hair was pinned up with several pins. He had changed into much the same, except he was in pants. He had never felt comfortable in shorts.

"I don't think in all the time I've traveled with you, I have never seen you dress up."

"Well, I usually don't. I've been known to do it occasionally." They grinned at one another. He took her hand and headed out the door.

* * *

Four hours later, they found themselves in a jail cell. He was pacing, and she was looking on with an amused smile on her face. Had she not been so weak, she could have whisked them both away. But in the state she was currently in, she couldn't. So she did the only thing she could do. She helped the man who could get them out.

They had stripped them of everything but their clothes. All bobs, trinkets, and sonic screw drivers were beyond their grasp. They'd let her keep her pins, though. Silly them.

"I'm sure our punishment won't be that bad." She looks at him and rolls her eyes.

"That's not the point. Had you actually gotten us to the right place, this wouldn't have happened." He looks at her and pouts a bit.

"You said it yourself. She takes us where we need to go."

"Yeah, but we were supposed to go somewhere relaxing! So I could recuperate! Now we're stuck in a damned jail cell."

"With no sonic. Mind you, I've had to get out of worse without it...s'not as easy, though."

"Well, I've had enough. What do you say we get out of here, yeah?"

He looked at her. He seemed to relax a bit when he noticed she wasn't pulling on the Wolf.

"What do you have in mind?"

* * *

He watches as she takes her hair down. Bit by bit. His mouth has gone dry and he isn't exactly sure why. This woman creates all sorts of reactions he's not entirely sure of. He's decided that it's not just this body's quirks. His future bodies seem to have the same reaction as well. He watches her, intently, as she works. She hadn't bothered to answer. With the pins she pulled from her hair, she reached through the bars. She was concentrating, brow knit, tongue between teeth. Finally, after a few moments, they hear a click. She smiles widely, eyes twinkling. He smiles back, just as widely.

"So, now that we've decided we're on the wrong planet, what do you say we go ahead and topple whatever foul plot has over-taken the area?"

"Sounds like an excellent idea."

They left the cell and collected their items. Whoever had arrested them obviously didn't see them as a threat. They quickly left the area, trying to avoid anyone they could.

They got outside. And that's when he noticed it. Silence. Complete and utter silence.

"That's odd." Rose looked around, noticing the stillness of the town.

"That's creepy. It's never silent. Well, not never. There are very few places in the Universe that area completely silent. But this place was bustling not long ago. It's like everyone...vanished."

"What could do that?"

"A few things. Something with a transmat beam. At least, that's what it feels like."

Rose looks at him, thoughtful.

"I ran into a couple of things that could use transmat. Daleks, Cybermen, to name a few. But neither of them would just steal the population. They would just invade and take over. Convert. Kill. The only time they transmated and didn't immediately kill was to experiment. And I don't want to think of that."

"Hmm. We weren't taken. That narrows it down to someone who can be selective with a transmat. They wanted the native populace. This is concerning."

He started scanning, slowly turning. Rose watches him. It's comforting to see him working. It's times like this that reassure her that even though it's a different face, it's still the same man. He stops and gives her a manic grin. She raised her eyebrows. He offers her his hand and she grins, taking it. Another thing that reminds her.

"Were you really upset that we landed here?" He asked her. She could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

"Not really. But I do need to rest when we're done. I love the adventure, honestly. I just wore myself out. I'm more than human, so I don't need as much sleep. But I've overextended myself."

"You, Rose Tyler, are amazing. I'm glad I found someone who loves the adventure as much as I do."

"You've found plenty of people who love it as much as you do. There's more to it than that, isn't there?"

He sighed and gave her a soft smile.

"I don't get attached, normally. The couple of times I have, I've had my heart broken. Not love, mind you. But the closer I get to my companions, the more it breaks my heart when they leave. I'm honestly surprised I let myself go as far as I did with you."

"You were broken. Makes a man do strange things. It was like you were drowning. I was there, every night, through the nightmares that didn't seem to end. You tried to push me away, but I'm easily as stubborn as you. Eventually, you relented and even came to me for comfort. It was platonic. But that was okay. We didn't need more than that."

Her eyes looked far away.

"When did the shift happen?"

"It didn't. At least, not with you. It did with Joshua. Suddenly, he was free to do what he wanted. No restrictions. No rules he needed to follow anymore. And it was amazing. What you and I have done is honestly more than I had ever thought of doing with you. And honestly, I'm quite content just running with you."

"Do you ever want more?"

She shrugs.

"Doesn't really matter. I've been celibate for over 400 years. What I want is a mate. Just a friend. A hand to hold."

He smiles at her and squeezes her hand.

"Well, it just so happens that's what I'm looking for as well. So, Rose Tyler, would you like to be my mate?"

"That would be wonderful."

* * *

_Mate. He'd asked her to be his mate! He wasn't sure what he meant by that, honestly. But the urge was there. Especially now that he was cut off from his home. Perhaps that's where it had originated. This time, he knows he didn't slaughter them, but there's nothing left for him there, either. He had long ago lost his family. He is a renegade. An 'infamous child'. And strangely he's ok with this. There was a time, perhaps, when he might have wanted more. But not in recent memory._

_And this girl. He's still trying to figure her out. He wants to trust her, so badly. He did trust her. But the type of trust he wanted was…more. To just fall into her and never get up. But he has a hard time understanding how anyone could do so much for him and not want something in return. She seems to only want to traverse the stars with him. To hold his hand. And that is lovely indeed. Maybe he can trust her like that after all._

* * *

He was still lost in his thoughts when she stopped, abruptly, and yanked him back. He let out a small sound of surprise. She pulled him behind a tree and placed her fingers on his lips to silence him. In the distance, a steady beat could be heard.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

'_Almost the Master's beat but not quite.'_

'_What do you think it is?'_

'_Not sure. But I have the feeling we don't want to be seen by whatever it is.'_

'_Wait. Didn't we just think the entire population had been transmated? If that's native, why are they still here?'_

Her eyes got wide for a moment.

'_Cybermen? Their stomping would carry and echo for a distance.'_

'_It's possible. But we can't know more until we get closer.'_

'_Agreed.'_

They kept to the tree line as they followed the sound. It reverberated around them so he used his sonic to pinpoint the direction. Soon enough, they came to the edge of a small cliff. They peered over, cautiously. As far as they could see, there was metal. It was a graveyard. Daleks. Cybermen. The noise itself? Speakers. Many speakers around the whole area, sounding off like an invasion.

'_Won't know more unless we go down there.'_

They both looked apprehensively at each other.

'_Well, let's get this party started, then.'_

They eased down the slope, trying not to be noticed. As they came closer, they noticed a smell. A deep seeded acidic odor. Rose scrunched up her nose.

'_What is that?'_

'_Not sure. Could be plenty of things. We'll know when we get closer. Let me know if you get light-headed or nauseous.'_

By the time they made it down, it was enough to almost make Rose vomit. She didn't, but he could feel her discomfort. He was about to suggest she head back up, but she shook her head.

'_I don't feel like being jeopardy friendly today. Let's get this done and over with so I can get back.'_

They made their way through the junk yard, hands still clasped together. This time, he stiffened and pulled her back. They eased their way back into a recess and he placed his fingers on his lips, telling her silence. She repeated the gesture and grinned.

They watched as something went passed. To Rose, it looked like a worm. Large eye-stalks atop it's head and what appeared to be thick hide. The Doctor tensed, watching it pass. He relaxed only slightly when just the one passed.

'_I take it you've seen one before?'_ Rose looked at him, an eyebrow raised.

'_They are the Drashig. Extremely hostile, almost invulnerable, but they hunt in packs. Usually when they hunt, they emit a sort of keen to drive their prey forward. They also hunt in packs of 3. That one is alone, which means we are safe, but not for long. We really need the TARDIS now. For this, and to see if we can track where the rest of the populace went.'_

He carefully stuck his head out, looking around for any more. Then they darted out, back the way they came. They trek went much slower. The Doctor seemed to try to be especially careful since seeing the Drashig. He kept Rose's hand tightly in his as they made their way back to the TARDIS. The Silence still unnerved them. Neither made a sound and made it back to the TARDIS.

"So, how do we stop them if they are basically invulnerable?"

"Time Loop." He replied, simply.

"That's the most humane thing you can do, isn't it? Put them in a perpetual Purgatory."

He looked at her, blinking.

"I won't kill if I don't have to. I'm a healer, not a killer. But I can't have them running loose killing others, either. So, this is the best I know to do." He almost looked defeated and turned from her back to the TARDIS controls

Rose stepped behind him as he was working and wrapped her arms around him, effectively giving him a hug. He startled for a moment, but relaxed quickly.

"Now, the TARDIS usually perpetually scans an area while we are out, collecting data and saving it to the database. My knowledge comes from my own experiences plus whatever data the TARDIS uncovers. Hopefully, if we're lucky, she has figured out where the transmat has taken the populace that arrested us. Could you look for that information on the console while I move and put things together for the loop?"

She looked at the monitor. Everything was written in Gallifreyan. She sighed.

"Yeah. Gimme a mo'. I'm a bit rusty on my Gallifreyan."

He looked at her and smiled.

"I should be surprised that you know it. But really, nothing surprises me with you."

She smiled.

"I told you when we first met, I eat impossible for Breakfast!"

He shook his head at her, smiling.

It took about 10 minutes. Long enough for the Doctor to get his part of the plan ready.

"Well, the technology of the transmat is basic. If it's Dalek, then it's very early Dalek. But that's not what the TARDIS thinks it is. She thinks it's actually Silurian, which is odd. They were advanced enough for this, but I didn't know any of their civilization to go out this far. It's not unlike them to capture races. They were a bit aggressive. It's pinpointed the transmat in the desert area to the west of where we found the worms."

"So, worms first, then Silurians?"

"Sure."

Together, they moved the TARDIS near the 'graveyard' and began the process of putting it into a Time Loop. She hit the buttons he told her to and they were able to do with without any problems. This actually worried Rose. They materialized somewhere in the area where they'd gotten the signal and before she could say anything, he ventured out.

"Bloody alien." She muttered as she went after him.

* * *

Five minutes. That's all it took before the Doctor and Rose had guns on them. A record, if you asked her. Probably if you asked him.

"Can we not go somewhere without someone putting a gun at our backs?" Rose looked at him and glared. Well, tried to glare. This was the life she loved as well.

He looked sheepishly at her.

"It's not always guns." He replied, lamely.

She rolled her eyes. They were being led to the leaders, the council in this case.

"At least you didn't take Take me to your Leader again."

"That's funny. I should do that some time!" This brought another eye roll from Rose, but she was smiling now.

They finally stopped in a room with three chairs. In each sat a Silurian.

"What brings the two of you here? This area has been declared Silurian. Trespassers are to be detained until given further instructions."

"What did you do with the original inhabitants of the area, hmm?"

"They are safe and cared for. Those, we took in. The worms would have eventually eaten them."

"But you haven't killed them? They are safe?"

"Well, yes! We're not like you dirty apes, going around killing things! We have some semblance of chivalry!"

The Doctor tried not to laugh, but it was difficult. Rose was still looking straight ahead.

"Rose, you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." She shot her eyes sideways at him and he could see a bit of panic there.

"Bad past with Silurians?"

"Not Silurians, but lizards, yes. When I was on the TARDIS reading off the information, I didn't realize this is what we would be facing. Just give me a moment." She continued to stare straight ahead.

"You have run into our kind before?"

"No. Not exactly. A few similarities but not the same."

"Do you fear us, child?"

"I fear a great many things."

"That wasn't an answer."

Rose looked pointedly at the one in the middle.

"No, it wasn't. But I think we have something more important to discuss. Like what you're going to do with the inhabitants now that the worms are safely gone."

"Gone? You got rid of them?"

"Enough!" The one on the left yelled. "They are intruders! They will be punished!"

"Now, Leiza, they may have done us a boon."

"It doesn't matter, Maer, our laws dictate-"

"That's enough, Leiza. If you are needed, I will call for you. Dismissed." Leiza glared at Maer and stomped out of the room. Maer turned to the Doctor and Rose.

"Please excuse her. She's a warrior and seems to always think that every outsider is a threat. She wanted us to kill the ones we took for protection. Speaking of, how do we know you tell the truth?"

"Scan yourself. I know you have the technology. You'll see the area they were in as a bit fuzzy on your equipment. And the lifesigns will fluctuate between none and several. I think there were ten total in the area. But please, take a look."

Maer motioned them to follow and they went to the lab. Three scientists were in there, all pouring over various equipment. Maer instructed them to run the scan.

"The scan confirms what he's stated."

Maer looked at the Doctor and Rose, taking them in for really the first time.

"What are you? I took you for apes but there's something more, isn't there?"

"Possibly. Tell me, who do you know could trap someone in time like that?"

Maer looked at him, eyes wide.

"Doctor?"

"Oh good! I've run into you before! Wait, when?"

"Not run into so much as stories handed down. A thousand years to think, to plan, to come to terms with us sharing the planet with the apes. You inspired years of peace between our peoples. But it got too crowded and some of us chose to leave. You had a different face then, but we were schooled after that in your history, your legacy, Doctor. You will find friends here."

"Wonderful."

Maer led them to where the natives were held. They were a sort of bear-humanoid. Rose thought they were cute, and even mentioned the fact. Part of the reason they had been in jail. But after hearing what he and Rose had done, they asked them to join for dinner. The Doctor looked towards Rose, who nodded. She knew how much he liked little nibbles.

After three hours of celebration by the two races, Rose and the Doctor left. Leiza stopped them, outside the room where the TARDIS was. The Doctor raised his eyebrow at her. She handed him a trinket. A necklace.

"An apology. Had I known who you were and what you represented, I wouldn't have acted like that. You garnered a great respect from most of us. I let my head go before my heart. At least that's what the elders say." She gave him a small smile.

"Well, just learn to think before you leap!" Rose barely stopped snorting in him. He just looked at her and together they entered the TARDIS.


	5. Curls and Attitude

**_I do not own Doctor Who._**

**_I hope you will enjoy these next couple of chapters. They have to do with the future. It's a bit Timey-Wimey. Still taking suggestions for Joshua Noble on adventures they can have here on Pete's World._**

**Curls and Attitude**

_Luna University, 51__st__ Century_

To anyone who had seen her, River Song was a brash, courageous woman who never let anything stand in her way. If she wanted it, she got it.

She was nauseous. Her Time Line was shifting. Everything that River Song was being rewritten. So she did the only thing she knew to do. She sought out the Doctor.

* * *

Rose and the Doctor landed in Cardiff on a Tuesday exactly 5 days after they had left Koschei and Donna. Neither had gotten any phone calls or distressing news so they were looking forward to a nice visit.

Ianto let them into the Hub where Jack, Koschei and Donna were waiting for them. They were alight with activity. Everyone was talking about Koschei and Donna's latest adventure. So everyone was paying attention to the bright flash of light in the center of the group and the woman with the big, curly hair. And immediately, everyone was on alert.

"Melody, what in the world brings you here?"

The woman's eyes became wide at Rose's words. Guilt, fear, and more than a touch of sadness flitted across her face before she quickly covered it with a smirk. She pulled out a pink journal and flipped through.

"This must be really early days for you if you're calling me that, Rose Tyler. Let's see, where are we?"

Rose wasn't fooled by her quick change in attitude. Despite the smirk and aloof demeanor of Melody, she could tell that her words had hurt. So Rose did the only thing she could think of. She reached out and enveloped her into a hug, effectively stilling her. Melody took a deep, shuddering breath before returning the hug.

_'Oh, Rose. Please tell me you know who I am.'_

_'Yes and no. This is the first time I have met you here.'_

_'Oh….I knew this was bound to happen. We're always meeting in reverse.'_

_'Ah…hence the journal?'_

_'Yep'_

_'So, since you are from my future, what can you tell me?'_

_'Honestly, I don't know. The first time we met, you knew everything about me. I wonder…..I wonder if this is what made that happen. And I felt my Time Line shift recently. I can't….I can't even see my old one anymore. And that scares me.'_

Melody had kept her composure until the very end. I was only a few tears, but the immense sorrow wafting from her drove the Doctor to also step up and envelope her in his arms. Her knees gave out and she collapsed, openly sobbing now. Everyone else had cleared from the room long ago. Heavy sobs wracked her body for 5 minutes. But between Rose and the Doctor's soothing words she managed to finally calm down.

"Now, Melody, do you want to tell me what's going on?"

"Doctor, I felt my Time Line shift. It wasn't a small shift either. It feels like my entire life has been rewritten. The essentials are still there. I wasn't unmade, obviously. And I'm not sure if these shifts are good or bad. Regardless, it was a bit overwhelming so I came to the only people I knew could help."

"Time sensitive, but you aren't a Time Lady, are you?"

"No. My parents were human."

The Doctor quirked an eyebrow at this.

"It's complicated, and a part of your future I can't tell you."

"What can you tell us, Melody?"

Melody thought for a moment. Her Time Line was so intertwined with Rose, the Doctor, Koschei and Donna that she was certain what she could divulge. But a thought struck her and she looked pointedly at Rose.

"When we met, you knew my entire life. Every detail. But I don't know what I can actually say or not. Not to you. Everyone else…with everyone else I know what to do. But with you I don't."

"It's up to you, Melody, what I do."

Melody nodded and seemed to compose herself. She took Rose's hands and held them to her face.

"You are the only one who has ever known what all I went through. I think this is how you found out."

Melody gives her a watery smile before Rose touched her temples. Rose was assaulted by images. It wasn't nice and neat like her own mind was. This was heady and frantic and dizzying. Slowly, though, the images slowed and began to make sense. Rose was able to see her birth, her childhood, and the realization when she found out who she was and who she is.

They were together like that for twenty minutes. The Doctor stayed back and made sure they weren't disturbed. He wasn't thrilled about finding out so much about his own future, but it wasn't him that was finding out, it was Rose. And she could have figured it out herself.

Finally, they opened their eyes and broke apart.

"River Song."

"Hello."

Rose grinned her cheeky grin, tongue and all. She had found a sister, of sorts. She engulfed River in another hug. When she let River go, she turned to the Doctor.

"Go get Koschei, Donna, and Jack. We have a trip that we all need to make."

"Oh?"

"Yep! We have a little girl to save!"


	6. Ameica 1969

_**I do not own Doctor Who.**_

_**Disclaimer: This is not a rewrite of that episode. That will come much, much later.**_

**America, 1969**

Their group consisted of the Doctor, Rose, Donna, Koschei and River. Much to the Doctor's surprised, River input the coordinates and proceeded to fly the TARDIS. Rose, Koschei and the Doctor all gathered around the controls to help. Rose and River knew what was in store for them and they were worried. The Doctor and Koschei could both feel the unease.

They landed in an unassuming area. It was underground, and nothing gave it away as to where it was. Littering the floor were the bodies of aliens in suits all slightly decomposing. The Doctor could feel the panic flowing off River as she looked at them. On the outside, though, she looked calm. She was well versed in hiding her true emotions.

"This is where they held her. Hopefully, we can find some clues as to where she went."

Everyone started looking around, trying to find clues. River's memory was fuzzy about this part of her childhood. She had a hard time discerning what was real, and what was fake. Her mind in this point of her life had been manipulated and as such, she only had a vague understanding of what had transpired after her parents and the Doctor had been here.

It was Koschei who finally found the suit. And it was Donna who figured out what it was for. They shuddered at the thought of anyone being trapped inside that suit. It was designed so that whoever was inside would never need to come out for any reason.

They split up, scanning the streets. River went with Koschei and Donna. Rose and the Doctor went their separate ways. They hit the homeless shelters, hospital and morgues. But no matter how hard they looked, they did not find any missing child by that description.

Rose and the Doctor happened on an alley. Several homeless littered the area. The Doctor and Rose ventured in, trying not to disturb anyone. At one end, they saw an older gentleman talking to a small girl. Suddenly, she threw out her arms and threw her head back and regenerated. Because she was so young, she had no control over the regeneration and as such she regressed to a baby. She was colored, with chocolate eyes. Rose gently picked her up and started cooing to her as she dialed Koschei's phone.

"We found her. Meet us back at the TARDIS."

Twenty minutes later, everyone was huddled around in the Med Bay. The Doctor and Koschei did a full evaluation on her. It seemed she wasn't quite Time Lord, but she also wasn't human. Rose didn't seem all that surprised or concerned. She walked out to the Console Room where River had stayed.

"So, River, what do you want us to do? I have an idea. A chance for a decent childhood. Would you be willing?"

"What do you have in mind, Rose?"

"Well, I just so happen to know a certain Time Lord who will be Earth-bound for a few years…You want them to take...her?" Rose almost let slip that the child was actually River. River pursed her lips together, thinking.

"The past is already being rewritten. I think you should do what you think is best."

"You trust me that much?"

"Absolutely. If there's one thing I believe in, it's you."

Rose nods at this revelation.

"Go home, River. We'll get this sorted here."

River nodded and in a flash, was gone.

When Rose walked back into the Med Bay, the Doctor raised an eyebrow, questioning.

"Koschei, Donna, I have something I need you to do."

"Let me guess, you want us to raise the little one, don't you?" Donna asked. She wasn't being sarcastic, just factual.

"Yeah, but there's a bit more to it than that. She needs to be raised in a certain time period. Leadsworth, 1988. Her name, is Melody Jones. I'll make sure you get the materials and stuff you need for the TARDIS so you can still do that as well as anything Jack needs you to do. But watch over her. Her life is important. I'll work on getting you all backgrounds and essentials. But for now, it's the slow path. That ok?"

"I'm fine with that, Rose. Shay? Will you be okay with this?"

Koschei has a thoughtful look on his face. Finally he nods.

"You gonna be okay living with me for the next 20 years with no Jack to buffer us?"

"Oh, I don't know Shay. I might be too much for you to handle."

Koschei snorts and grins.

"Well then, it looks like we have a little one to raise. Care to join me, Ms. Noble?"

"Absolutely."

They piloted back to Torchwood, where they explained the situation to Jack. He wasn't pleased, but he couldn't say no either. Koschei burned off the database he had been working on.

"Look, Koschei, I know they aren't exactly time consistent, but if you can keep it hidden, take the lap top with you."

Koschei nodded.

They packed the few items they had at the flat and met back up with Rose about 2 hours later. Jack had put together the paperwork they needed to start their life. Jack, surprisingly, hugged both Koschei and Donna before they left. Koschei hesitated for a moment before hugging him back.

'_You aren't completely forgiven. But I don't hate you anymore. Y'all be careful. If you need us, call.'_

'_Thank you, Jack. We'll keep in touch, okay?'_

Jack nodded. Soon enough, they were loaded back into the TARDIS.


	7. Lalande System

_**I do not own Doctor Who.**_

_**So…the Master raising River Song? Oh, this could be good. Anyway, on with the rest of the story!**_

* * *

**Lalande System**

"Kapteyn 5 is one of the most beautiful planets of the Lalande System. This planet boasts over 60 different sentient species making it one of the largest conglomerations in the Universe. The inhabitants are peaceful. They have, however, placed a Code Mauve on the entire system and I intend to find out why. This seems a good place to start as any."

"So, what you're telling me is to dress for running."

"Precisely."

* * *

"Well, for a peaceful planet, it sure it war torn."

"This…this is wrong. There's not supposed to be an invasion force here for at least another two centuries. I made sure to set the coordinates well before they were supposed to invade. Unless this isn't them. Could we really be that lucky?"

Rose regarded the Doctor while he was rambling. Obviously something very bad happened here. Or it would happen here. But no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't able to see it. That hadn't happened in a long time. She could always see what was about to happen. This worried her more than the Doctor's apparent discomfort.

"Unless this isn't who, Doctor?"

"The

Caxtarids. They're a humanoid race with metallic red eyes and hair. They invade Kapteyn 5, kill off several of the species and enslave the rest. You're usual run of the mill conquerors. Except they aren't. They are expert torturers. Their machines are legendary. The Daleks and similar races who fought against us in the Time War had a penchant for using their machines."

"Ok, torturers are actually fairly common in war."

"You don't understand, Rose. These machines can keeps a person, a human, alive, in continuous torture. For a Time Lord, that means no regeneration. Just endless pain. It drove quite a few of us mad." His gaze had gone far off and his face was pinched in pain. Rose opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. Did she really want to know the answer to that? Yeah, she did.

"Did you….were you ever at their mercy?"

"Once, but that's all it took. It's not something I'm keen to experience again."

He led them through the streets, keeping mainly in the dark. This Doctor was different than the ones she travelled with. She struggled to understand why, but then it hit her. He was a soldier. She'd seen it in her leather-clad Doctor. But he had always just jumped in. He'd jumped in because he hadn't wanted to live. This Doctor had something to live for. He had his whole planet still, locked away in a pocket Universe. She knew he'd already started the TARDIS to running calculations to where it could be hidden. She also knew it could be centuries before he found it. That was actually a good thing. That would give Gallifrey time to readjust to peace. Because she knew what happened when Time Lords went to war and that didn't need to be let loose on the Universe.

She almost ran into him before she shook herself from her thoughts. Getting lost in her mind and not paying attention to her surroundings was dangerous. She'd have to be more careful.

The Doctor regarded Rose carefully. He knew she had been lost in thought. He briefly wondered what she'd been thinking before he turned back to what had made him stop. Ahead were several of the creatures he'd described to Rose. And his heart fell. This was already going to be difficult enough without the Caxtarids here. But with them here, it was near impossible. He briefly wondered if he had actually steered them to the wrong century but everything screamed at him that he was correct. That meant that something had led the Caxtarids here early. Was this a ripple effect from the Time War? Changing Time Lines had become a favorite move for both sides. And he'd seen many Time Lords degenerate into madness because of it. Collapsing Time Lines were not fun for creatures who were Time Sensitive.

He turned his attention back to the scene before him. Hadn't there been seven of them before? Now he only saw five.

He didn't hear Rose slumped behind him. And his world went black before he realized where the other two had gone.

* * *

_**I had originally envisioned this chapter to be longer. But I found a good stopping point and it ties in well with what I want to happen next.**_


	8. Bindings

_**I do not own Doctor Who.**_

_*********__**Warning**__**: This chapter will be depicting some torture scenes.**_

_**Summary: Rose and the Doctor are captured and they are tortured. How does he react to that? Badly.**_

* * *

**Bindings**

Rose woke to the feel of cold steel against her bare back. She didn't open her eyes. She didn't want whoever held her to know she was awake yet. She tried to assess her situation. She had bindings around her wrist and ankles. There was also one across her forehead, chest, and hips. From where it was on her hips, she could tell she was completely nude. They hadn't even left her knickers on. She didn't sense any movement in the room with her. No changes in the air quality. As far as she could tell, she was alone.

She felt something on the back of her neck. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew what she feared it to be.

* * *

The Doctor woke slowly. Pain pierced his head. He was in a small cell and had been stripped of his clothes. He couldn't help but feel vulnerable. His clothes were his armor. With his layers removed, he was forced to feel everything. Nothing was muffled. He sat on the flimsy bed and closed his eyes. The dull throb behind his eyes lessened. He had no idea where Rose was being held. But he knew she was alive.

He reached out, trying to touch her mind with his. To reassure her, he thought, but it was just as much to reassure himself. He felt her, faintly, and could tell she was anxious. He tried to comfort her through the echo of a bond that they had. She caressed his mind faintly before he felt her close herself off completely. It was silent. His mind had never been silent before. This could drive him mad.

* * *

Rose felt the Doctor brushing up against her mind. She was still alone, so she brushed back gently. She let herself be comforted by him, as much as he could from wherever he was. She knew now, that he was in the same facility as her. It would make it easier for escape.

She threw her mental shields up when she heard the door open. She was still pretending she was asleep. A cool, gloved hand caressed her cheek. She heard metal clinking nearby. It was everything she could not to do something to give herself away. She felt another strap come down around her neck and her eyes snapped open.

Above her stood one of the Caxtarids. Female, if the delicateness of the features could be believed. She stared at Rose for a moment before her face erupted into a deranged smile. She stroked Rose's cheek again before picking up what appeared to be a scalpel and held it up for Rose to see. Panic flit across her face before she schooled her features. She glared at the creature standing above her. The creature lowered the instrument to Rose's chest. She screamed.

* * *

The screams could be heard through the entire facility. The Doctor wasn't sure if it was Rose or not. The screams were indiscernible through the walls. But he knew he was afraid of the answer. He took a deep breath, and willed himself to relax. Panicking wouldn't solve anything. He opened his eyes and evaluated the room again. There were no windows, so he couldn't escape through that. He pressed his hands against the door. It was solid and unmoving under his hands. He threw his weight into it. The door barely shuddered. He hit it again, harder. Again, nothing. Well, now his shoulder hurt.

He'd been s intent on trying to slam the door open, he hadn't noticed the screaming had stopped. He strained his ear against the door, trying to hear. He was leaning against it so heavily that when it jerked open, he fell, into the waiting arms of his captors.

* * *

Rose's flesh was seared with beautiful designs. After the designs had been cut into her skin, her torturer had used a hot branding iron to cauterize the wounds. Sometime during the process, Rose had mercifully passed out.

In the room next to hers, the Doctor was tied to a chair, watching. For now, the captors seemed content to just have him gaze at their handiwork. The damage to Rose's body had him seething. A white cold fury that he'd never felt before. He knew where this rage originated. Normally he would push such intense feelings aside. Today, though, seeing her broken form, he latched to that fury and rode it. He would get them out of there, and they would pay. No one could harm his mate. It didn't matter that they weren't completely bonded. All that mattered is he considered her his and she had been maimed.

He kept his eyes focused on Rose, even when the creature came back into the room. He kept his eyes on her even when they picked up the instruments and started cutting. He owed it to her to watch. And the more he watched, the more his fury grew.

He was so intent on the scene before him that he almost missed the one that entered his room.

* * *

They turned her so she could face the room the Doctor was in and injected her before they left. Her eyes popped open and she stared at him. They made her watch as they systematically broke him down. They didn't cut him, like they did her. Instead they started with electricity. Rose knew from her time before that electricity would have more of an impact on him than anything else they could do. Soon his head hung and he was visibly sweating. Rose knew he was in pain, even though he didn't voice it.

He lost track of time. He didn't know if it had been minutes, hours or days. His wrists were bleeding. His hands had a white-knuckled grip on the chair. He was straining against his bindings.

Her flesh was marred almost beyond recognition. They never touched her face. They left her chest and sex alone as well. But every other open space of flesh had been cut and burned. And still she was alive. But so long as they were both alive, they had hope.


	9. Escape

_**I do not own Doctor Who.**_

_**It's still not over yet but I won't be going into detail in this chapter. If you didn't read the last chapter, Rose and the Doctor are being held by the Caxtarids and tortured.**_

**Escape**

The item attached to her neck was an inhibitor. So long as it was on her, she couldn't do anything except reach out with her telepathy.

The Doctor had been tied up in the room next to her for hours and they hadn't let up yet. They had mercifully left her alone once they were done butchering her skin. Mutilated and burned, most would be dead right now. But Rose Tyler defied the possible on a daily basis. And she already suspected that she couldn't die. Maybe today was the day to test out that theory.

'Doctor...' Rose tried desperately to reach him but he'd sealed himself off. His eyes were closed and his face clenched in pain.

'Doctor...please.'

He growled in frustration. His Caxtarid torturer walked back into the room and she saw him lean down and whisper something in the Doctor's ear.

"No! Don't you dare touch her! Not like that!"

The man smirked at the Doctor's outrage and whispered again. Rose barely registered the movement before the Caxtarid fell to the ground. The Doctor was standing, the arms of the chair broken. He removed all the wires connected to him. She saw him reach down and search the body and pull out a knife which he used to cut his bindings off. He looked at her, his eyes full of hatred and pain. She'd only ever seen him look that way once. And she had been standing between him and a Dalek. She repressed the shiver that tried to run down her spine. This was the Doctor at his most cold, his most angry, and for once, she wasn't going to step in his way. Five hundred years will do that to a girl.

She watched as he slipped from the room. She closed her eyes and waited.

* * *

'Rose. I...how are you?'

'I'll be better once we get back to the TARDIS.'

'Yeah..I'm working on that. Be a few. Stay with me, please?'

Rose didn't answer. Now that he was up, she'd let herself ease back into unconsciousness.

Rose had been silent in his mind since he stepped out. He was concerned, but not overly so. She hadn't placed her shields up or locked him out. As far as he could tell, she had just blacked out.

* * *

The Doctor eased through the halls. The place they were being held was strangely devoid of life. He hadn't seen any of the Caxtarids since coming out of his room.

He'd found his and Rose's clothes not far from where they were kept. He put his on as quickly as he could, but couldn't stop wincing in pain. He'd been running on adrenalin but the electrocution had taken a toll on his body. He was stiff and sore and it hurt to move. He'd worry about that later. Right now, he had to get Rose back to the TARDIS. He just wasn't sure how to do that. She was badly burned. He didn't want to chance moving her until he absolutely had to. She wasn't reacting to the pain like he had expected her to and now that they weren't actively torturing her, she'd calmed down considerably.

So, first thing, find the TARDIS. Second, get Rose into TARDIS. 'C', or three for those keeping count, was dealing with the Caxtarids. He wasn't quite sure yet how he was going to do that last one, but he was certain Ace had left some of her potent Nitro on the TARDIS.

* * *

Getting out of the compound had been easy. He'd expected more resistance. But the Caxtarids apparently hadn't thought either of them could get out. None of the doors had been Deadlocked. A few hadn't even been locked. He'd had to hide only twice from wandering patrols. He figured there weren't really that many here.

The building they were held in was less than a kilometer from where he'd set the TARDIS and for that he was eternally grateful. He eased up to her, careful to make sure there were no wandering patrols. Once inside, he flipped switches and turned knobs and hoped he set down in her room. He even managed to take off the parking brake.

Rose's form was exactly where he'd last seen her. He unsnapped the straps that held her down and tried to pick her up gently, but she arched her body away from his hands and he almost dropped her. She stared wide-eyes at him for a moment before pursing her lips together and nodding. She knew she had to get inside as well.

The TARDIS had moved the Med-Bay as close as possible. He sat rose on the bed.

"I'll be back in a mo'. But I have to take care of things."

Rose closed her eyes and nodded slightly. She was in pain again. Some of the wounds had reopened in the move. She was bleeding again. But the only thing she could do now was lay there and wait.

The Doctor rummaged around his supply room for an hour and still hadn't found the Nitro. He hadn't run across any bombs, to be honest. Defeated, he made his way back to the Console Room.

He flicked on the monitor, and there was the answer. A virus. They had all died from a virus that had been let loose. But there were tons of virus he could use and still be historically accurate. Who was he to argue with history?


	10. Healing and Regeneration

_**I do not own Doctor Who.**_

**Healing & Regeneration**

The red haze that clouded the Doctor's vision was slowly starting to disappear, but not before he'd unleashed a version of the Ebola virus. History would take its course.

Rose's charred body was still in his Med Bay. Her breathing was shallow and her eyes closed. He reached out to her with his mind. She didn't respond, but he could feel her. It put him at ease, slightly. He was at a loss where to start in healing her. The TARDIS nudged the edge of his mind, bringing up a picture of the inhibitor that was still on the back of her neck. He arched an eyebrow and she gave him a mental shove. He stumbled over to the table and took out his screwdriver. He scanned the device and heaved out a sigh. It had been integrated into her spinal column. Removal would require a bit of surgery and he wasn't sure if he could do it.

Rose grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers.

'_Do it.'_

'_I could kill you Rose.'_

'_This surely will if you don't try.'_

He stared at her for a moment, eyes wide. He blinked a couple of times and looked around. He needed to find some sort of anesthesia for her. He gathered what he would need and proceeded to try and find a vein for an IV line. He watched her carefully as her eyes fluttered shut. He still had no idea how to heal the damage to her body.

* * *

The surgery to remove the inhibitor was painfully slow. The tines connecting it to her spine were microscopic and required a delicate touch. Normally he wouldn't be able to concentrate for this long but it was Rose. He honestly didn't know how she'd survived this. He knew she had been tortured in the past. This is something that would have made him Regenerate well before now.

He fought back tears as he worked. He had only known her for a few short weeks but he could already tell he had fallen and hard. It wasn't the same as when he'd fallen for Grace. He understood now that Grace was a phase. This was the first body he'd had in several Regenerations that he any type of libido and he hadn't been sure what to do with it. With Rose, he felt like he'd found a part of himself. And she understood the decisions and sacrifices he had to make. She supported him and helped him in any way she could. He'd be damned if he lost her now.

* * *

He knew the moment the surgery had worked. How could he not? The Huon and Atron particles in her body reacted violently. All the energy that had been pent up and suppressed from the inhibitor were now able to start healing her. The explosion that rocked from her body flung him into the far wall. He winced in pain and watched as her body exploded in gold light. This wasn't the guided Regeneration he was used to. This was violent and all-encompassing. It created a trigger in him. Her Regeneration was so violent and the room so small that it left him no choice but to follow. He barely had time to register the change before he knew no more.

* * *

He woke to a cool cloth being applied to his forehead. He groaned and shut his eyes tightly in pain. He felt like he'd been ripped apart and put back together by a child. He snapped his eyes wide, remembering. Rose stood above him, dabbing his face with the cool cloth. She smiled softly at him, but he couldn't help but see the bit of pain as well. He sat slowly sat up and waiting for the world to stop spinning.

"What happened?"

"In short, I Regenerated. I just didn't change my face. Not entirely sure why not. But my Regeneration triggered yours and here we are. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a truck, honestly. You?"

"Healed. No scars that I can find. A bit traumatized from the whole experience. That's twice in just a few short months I've been tortured past what I human should be able to tolerate. I ended a Universe the first time. At least this time I was contained within the TARDIS. She's a bit damaged."

The Doctor looked up at her, blinking slowly.

"How damaged?"

"Bad enough that I landed her near Koschei and Donna. They're cleaning her up while I tended to you. Think you could manage to the Kitchen?"

"Yeah, maybe if you help me."

They staggered their way to the Kitchen, each taking strength from the other. The Doctor sat heavily at the table while Rose busied herself, making them both tea. She made him a cup and sat it in front of him.

"Drink up. Don't need you crashing out on me yet." He raised his eyebrow at her.

"When you Regenerated in front of me, it was a bad one. It went all, wonky. Tea fixed you right up, once we figured it out. This wasn't exactly a typical Regeneration either. So, do us all a favor, drink your cuppa, and then we'll go from there."

He grabbed the cup and took a tentative drink. Both eyebrows shot up and he looked at her.

"This body, this Regeneration, is the first I traveled with. If nothing else, I remembered how to make your tea."

She grinned at him brightly and he smiled back. They sat in silence, drinking their tea and trying to heal.

Koschei and Donna were in the Console Room, sifting through the debris. The TARDIS was smart. She'd shuffled rooms and dumped the Doctor and Rose in the Console Room before they broke apart. The Console Room was one of the few rooms that she had programs and fail-safes to protect it's integrity. After he had deleted the Zero Room (for the thousandth time) she learned to put precautions in place to protect it. So the only room that was significantly damaged was the Console Room and that was mostly kept to the edges of the room closest to where she dumped them.

Rose and the Doctor walk in. He is eyeing everything that Koschei and Donna are doing. He glares, critical analysis running through his mind and across his eyes. Rose rolls her eyes and Koschei smirks. Donna proceeds to ignore him. He takes in the new desktop theme. It's a coppery color.

"It's coral. A more organic look. A steep contrast to the synthetic white that she was during the War. It reflected your nature at the time. Dark and brooding." She smiles up at him.

"But I'm not all dark and brooding now, am I?"

"You will be." Without waiting for a reply, she leaves the TARDIS. The Doctor stares at her back, confused. He looks at Koschei who shakes his head.

"She means you will be once you realize what you did."

Donna's voice cut across the room at him. His eyes go wide as he remembers. He killed them all. An entire race. Not that it's the first time. Quite the opposite. But the act leaves a distinct taste in his mouth. He swings around and punches a wall, eliciting an angry hum from the TARDIS. He storms off into the bowls of the ship, trying to lose himself in her depths. Donna starts after him but Koschei stops her.

"Let him go. I know how his emotions can swing. Not that you don't. But right now is his most volatile. He just Regenerated. He's realized he's committed genocide, again. He's not in a good state but he doesn't need you. He needs Rose but she's off doing whatever, lost in her own pain. If you want to go after someone, go after her. Please." He looks at her, eyes pleading. She purses her lips together and nods. He envelopes her in a hug and gives her a quick peck on the cheek. After she leaves, Koschei sighs and goes back to work. He knows it's only a matter of time before the Doctor comes to the Console Room to start his ritual of tinkering to calm down. For now, he needs to find his identity. To do that, he needs new clothes.


	11. Closure

_I do not own Doctor Who_

_Last Chapter for this little section! I hope you've enjoyed the road so far!_

**Closure**

Donna found Rose sitting outside the TARDIS. She wasn't crying, she was just, still. It was a bit unnerving, if Donna was honest.

"Rose, are you okay?"

"I will be. Just a lot to take in, ya know? I've been tortured before but the way they did it...and then I Regenerated. I didn't know for sure I could do that. But I guess that explains what happened to the other Universe. I couldn't control it. At least in the TARDIS it was controlled."

"And the Doctor? What are you gonna do about him?"

"What do you mean, Donna?"

"Just the way you acted in there. It makes it seem like you're blaming him. Now, I know that's not your nature but that's how it seemed. He was pretty upset after you walked out."

Rose sighed. She'd just needed a moment to herself. She'd been traumatized as well.

"You know what, blondie, let's go shopping. I know that always cheers me up. And maybe, you can find something for him. You know, to break the ice."

Rose's face erupted in a huge grin. They linked arms and walked towards the shops.

He wandered the ship, lost in his own anguish. He'd killed an entire species. No remorse at the time for it. He hadn't even really thought about it. No, that was a lie. He had thought it through very well and that scared him. He'd met the darkest part of himself. He didn't want to become that.

He eventually made his way to the Wardrobe Room. Not really paying attention, he grabbed the first things he could find. Black boots, socks, jeans and jumper. He was in a foul mood and wanted clothes that matched. He still felt incomplete. He needed a jacket. He glanced through the selection, not knowing what he was looking for.

He felt her, long before she entered the Wardrobe Room. He turned as she entered and quirked an eyebrow at the shopping bag in her hand. She smiled at him. Not her beaming smile. A small, tentative smile. He wondered if she was afraid of him now that she'd been witness to the worst.

She handed the bag to him.

"The last piece of your armor. And hopefully I managed to grab the correct size."

He looked into the bag, almost afraid of what would "complete" this outfit. He was surprised to find a very nice black leather jacket. His eyebrows shot up as he took it out of the bag.

"This...this is perfect. I don't think I've ever really had anyone give me a present before. I thought you were mad at me." He looks at her, confusion and if he admitted it, hope on his face.

"You daft man. I was never angry with you. Well, not since I came back. I knew how you would react and honestly, I needed a little bit of time to come to terms with things as well. But no, I'm not mad at you for what you did."

He was at a loss for words. So he did the only thing he could. He shrugged on the leather jacket. He watched her reaction and as it settled on his shoulders, and noticed her eyes had a hint of longing in them, like she'd rediscovered something she'd lost. She reached out and placed her hand on his chest. He stood still, allowing her to take her time. All he really wanted to do was pull her against him and snog her senseless. To take that wistful expression out of her eyes and fill it with something...darker. Oh, wow, where did those thoughts come from?

Her hand crept up his body slowly. He closed his eyes when she met his neck. She traced his ears and he had to bite back the moan. His body was still hyper-aware and each of her touches sent shocks through him that he hadn't felt in centuries. Her hand slid down to cup his cheek, her thumb grazing his lips. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

The brush of her lips against his was soft. She barely touched his lips with her own. And his defenses, his inhibitions, dropped. He pulled her close, resting one hand on her hip. The other fisted her hair, deepening the kiss.

_'I'll love you. Forever and Always.'_

_'Rose Tyler, I love you too.'_

_**The end!**_

_**The next installment is Series 1 of New Who! Look for it in a week or so.**_


End file.
